Basically, What I'm Saying is, Fuck Anankos
by Pineapple Death Match
Summary: The night Mikoto escaped, something happened that would have tossed the world into its inevitable demise. A god intercedes, and the world continues on…but fate is not so easily swayed. As it turns out, neither is she. (Or, an Obligatory Fates Retelling/Rewrite, with a Corrin-related twist. Also on AO3!)
1. It's Going to be a Long Day

**A/N: So I started writing this AGES ago and dropped it, but I've been getting back into Fire Emblem recently and everyone else seems to enjoy re-writing Fates so I might as well join in the fun.**

 **For the FF dot net mirror, since summaries here are so DANG SHORT: Corrin is OOC on purpose, and there's a reason why Everybody Loves Corrin(TM)**

* * *

It wasn't always dark in the kingdom of Nohr. Far to the north in a hidden fortress, a small finger of light pushed through heavy purple curtains and gently lay itself on the face of a sleeping individual. Although much of her was currently wrapped up in a blanket burrito, she had made the grave mistake of leaving her head uncovered, and this would be the demise of her dream.

The girl let out a rumbled sigh and turned over, only to shoot up in bed in sudden realization. She wrest free an arm from the blanket burrito and clutched her head from a sudden migraine, bits of conversation slicing into her head like a knife.

" _If this world is to survive, you must-"_

" _-anyone else can?"_

" _There was nothing-"_

" _I don't want-!"_

The prisoner of the tower – although she would _never_ be considered a _prisoner_ – took a few deep breaths before wiggling her way out of bed, smoothing out the creases on her plain cotton nightgown and making a meager attempt to fix the sheets before someone else would come and do it for her. The air seemed to always be cold here, the days bleeding together.

Corrin pressed cool fingertips against her eyelids and sighed. This would be the beginning of the second week.

In other areas of the Northern Fortress, its small band of servants were already awake and about getting things ready for the day. If they hadn't gotten her up yet, then that must mean any pressing matters wouldn't happen until later in the day. Or there was a surprise planned.

Corrin walked up to the window, shivering at the cold stone against her bare feet. Her arm pulled back thick purple curtains and let the rest of the morning light in. Outside, there was nothing but grey and brown rocky, barren countryside as far as the eye could see. A threadbare road spindled its way around one mountain towards the fortress and, just at the edge of the horizon, Corrin could barely make out an abandoned ore mine. There would be nothing – no meager farms or any human life – for quite some distance, lest someone find her here. _Like Rapunzel in her tower_ , Corrin thought. Not for the first time.

A gentle knock startled Corrin from her thoughts. "Come in," She turned from the window, dusting invisible dust bunnies from her nightgown.

Flora, a servant of the fortress with light blue hair, walked inside, sparing a moment to execute a short curtsey. "I've already drawn your bath for you, milady. Breakfast will be ready soon, as well."

"Thank you, Flora. Felicia trying scrambled eggs again?" Corrin's bare feet made no sound against the polished floor. Her bedchambers were at the very top of the highest tower – because of _course_ they were – with the washroom a flight of stairs below and down the hall. The inconvenience of waking up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom wasn't all that fun, especially when a random servant might cross your path and demand what's going on. Corrin had run into Gunter once in the past couple of weeks. _Never again._

Flora shook her head, having no problems keeping pace. "No, it's Jakob's turn today. I don't know what he's making this time – you know how he is." The maid opened the door to the bathroom a touch wider and gestured Corrin forwards. "This way, milady, before the bath water gets cold. I'll get you a change of clothes for when you're done."

"Thank you again, Flora. I don't know what I'd do without you all…you know that, right?"

Flora looked down and nodded. "Yes, milady. You're…welcome."

* * *

Elise squirmed in her saddle, tangling her fingers in the mane of her steed. "Are we there yet?" She whined. "I want to see Corrin already!"

"No, Elise, we're not at the northern fortress yet." Leo, riding beside her, rolled his eyes. "Although you should probably ask another dozen times, just to be sure."

The Nohrian countryside wasn't exactly known for its lush, vivid landscape, but the northernmost portion of the kingdom was exceptionally barren. All the commoners that used to inhabit the area left after the iron mine collapsed in on itself. Most assume royalty wouldn't come anywhere near such a landscape – which made it easy for them to travel lightly, disguised and undetected, every time they visited their sister.

Elise sighed. Then she sighed a couple more times, kicking her legs. "I can't help it, Leo." She huffed. "I'm _boooor_ -"

Xander, leading the entourage, turned his head and gave Elise _the look_. She quieted down after that, but not without returning _the look_ with _the pout_.

Xander sighed. "If it'll make you feel better, we'll be at the fortress by sundown."

"Really?"

"Why are you like this every time we visit the northern fortress?" Leo frowned. "You've visited far more than I have, but every time, you complain. It's unbecoming of a Nohrian princess."

"I wouldn't complain so much if there was something to do." Elise crossed her arms and huffed.

"Oh, I see. Would you like to review your magic lessons with me, then? We've got time."

"But _Leo_ …"

* * *

"You're slouching again. Sit up straight." Corrin's piano teacher was an elderly woman who was at the age where she didn't care about such social conventions as, "being polite" and "giving a shit." She had taught all of the Nohrian royal family, and would probably teach their grandchildren before finally allowing herself to retire. Her silver hair was tied back in an immaculate bun, and she had a brooch shaped like a swan over her breast. Her eyes were narrow and beady, like a hawk. She accented her criticisms of the young princess by lightly smacking Corrin's lower back with a ruler.

Corrin straightened her posture. "I can't focus on playing if I'm focusing on my posture."

"Yes you can. Now, from the top." Corrin sighed and flipped over a page. For a moment, she considered the merits of playing bad on purpose while having perfect posture, but decided against it. The piano teacher was…blunt, to say the least, but Corrin was sure she was being rough on her because she felt obligated to, and underneath was a warm, kindly old lady. Probably.

The piece Corrin was attempting to play reminded her of a song she learned a few years ago – a smooth, gentle melody, that involved all she had learned about the piano thus far. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say she played more piano in the last couple of weeks that she had her entire life.

Her fingers slid across the keyboard, handling the first page and a half with practiced ease. They had been at this song _all morning_. Corrin could probably play the whole of it blindfolded, if her teacher didn't smack her and force a restart of the song every time her posture slipped.

"You're not just playing, you're _preforming_. The way you carry yourself is part of that performance." The lady had said, a couple smacks ago. She followed up on that statement that implying Prince Leo had surpassed Corrin on the piano, a statement Corrin had no qualms agreeing to. If this shocked the old bird, Corrin couldn't tell. She was too focused on the sheet music.

Finally, _finally_ , Corrin finished the song. As she was no longer "preforming," she slouched harder than she had ever slouched before, and practically fell on top of the piano. The resounding din only helped portray her state of done-ness.

She was slapped with the ruler again, this time on her right shoulder. "All right, my dramatic princess. Once more with no issues, and we're done for the day. For the love of the gods, actually _practice_ this week, young lady."

Corrin did a silent but still rather unflattering imitation of her piano teacher as she flipped the pages over to the start of the song. Like clockwork, the days all followed the same schedule. After the novelty wore off, Corrin just found herself feeling really, _really_ bored most of the time. At least she had a vast library to work her way through during scant free time.

* * *

After piano was her history lesson. "The end of the second era was brought about by…" Gunter didn't seem the type of old man who taught, but Corrin thought he did all right. He made all the various wars and such sound interesting, unlike all the dusty old tomes she was supposed to read. Unfortunately today was a quiz day.

Corrin put her quill down from her latest vaguely-phallus-looking doodle. "King Nohstryn, the Illuminated, who united the various _poleis_ into one kingdom. He named this unified country Nohr, after himself, and so it has been called ever since."

"In the year..?"

"3 D.A." Corrin felt like smacking her head against the table, at least the pain would be something amidst the educational equivalent of white bread. "Why don't we see if we can make this any more boring. That would be great."

"This is the history of your kingdom, milady. It may read boring, but that doesn't make it any less important."

Corrin sighed. "…I know. I'm sorry, Gunter."

"It's quite all right." Gunter ruffled her silver hair. "I thought it was boring when I was your age, as well. Shall we continue?"

"I don't think I have a say in the matter, but sure." Corrin dipped her quill into the inkwell with her left hand. Her notebook was _supposed_ to be filled with relevant notes to her lesson, but she ended up covering the pages with random notes, coded phrases, and song lyrics. Oh, and dick doodles. Those were the most important – she made a game of trying to disguise them as a doodle of something else.

Gunter flipped through the pages in the giant tome he was reading from. "All right, then. Tell me the most noteworthy feat of Chardyna the White-Hearted."

* * *

"Corrin!" Elise pounced on Corrin, who had long since fallen asleep in the middle of her history test. She jerked up instantly, looking around with wild eyes before her mind caught up with her body. Elise's eyes glittered as she clambered into her older sister's lap. "Guess who?"

"Hey!" Corrin laughed and pulled Elise into a hug. "What are you doing here?"

"It was a surprise!" Elise flung her arms in the air. "Are you surprised?"

"I'll say! It's good to see you, Elise. I missed you."

A cough sounded from the doorway, and Corrin looked behind her. Xander, Leo, and Camilla were all there. Camilla rushed over to her baby sisters and pulled Corrin into a hug. "Oh, Corrin, sweetie, this is the _real_ surprise…all of us together, isn't it lovely?"

"Group hug!" Elise called. "Leo, Xander, get in!"

" _Absolutely_ no-woah!" Corrin reached behind Camilla and pulled him in, sandwiching him between the two of them. "C-Corrin, Camilla… I can't breathe."

"Hush up and accept my love, brother. Gods, I'm so happy to see you all again!"

* * *

 **A/N: Hello children it's world building time**

 **D.A = Noloré's equivalent of B.C/B.C.E, stands for "Draconis Ascending", the time of the first dragons**

 **P.D = Noloré's equivalent of A.D/C.E, stands for "Post Draconis", the time after the first dragons and the beginning of the "modern era", marked by the unification of Nohr 3 years prior and Hoshido the year before.**

 **This chapter is really short HECK but I didn't notice because it's very…beefy, I guess is the right world? Hopefully the chapters will get longer as we go on, haha. Unless y'all like these bite-sized chapters – just lemme know B)**


	2. His Riddle is Absence Itself

**A/N: uhhh so this is a very strange situation, since that first chapter took me like a year or so to finally pin down, and here I am in chapter 2 like it ain't no thang.**

 **For those wondering: We'll be getting to the start of the game almost immediately, but there's a little more set-up we have to go through first. The Corrin-related twist/reveal is coming up Soon(TM) but I'm still gonna slip in some breadcrumbs like I did with the first chapter up until that point, in case you want to try and figure it out for yourself beforehand B)**

* * *

Corrin liked to hide out in the stables of the northern fortress. For one, pretty much the only other person there was Lilith, and for various reasons the two felt comfortable enough around each other to let their guard down. For two, most of the other servants and guards made such a racket getting to and from that it gave her plenty of time to hide, or stop what she was doing, or whatever. Mostly, however, she'd say it was the horses. There was something oddly comforting about them, in their own way. Animals wouldn't put you under scrutiny, or force you to practice piano six hours a day.

There was something Corrin found morbidly ironic about her last piano lesson before the surprise visit. _You're never just playing, you're preforming._ In the moment, it was another quip she rolled her eyes at, but…

Leo's horse seemed to recognize her, which was good. For lack of anything better to do, Corrin was brushing down his mane, idly mouthing the lyrics to a song stuck in her head. Her siblings would be staying through the weekend, and Xander seemed pretty intent on running her down to the bone. For the past couple of days she seemed to have been stuck in a perpetual cycle of piano practice and sparring, only occasionally broken out of by Elise demanding attention, or Camilla wanting to share a bath, or Leo's quiet companionship in the library. So she thought it was nice, having some alone time again. Well, about as close as she could get to alone time, anyway.

"I thought I would be able to find you in here."

Corrin jumped and turned around. "Leo! Uh… I was just-"

Leo reached over to pat his horse's neck as well. "You and Brynhide are conspiring against me again, eh?" Brynhide snorted, but as he was just a horse, said nothing.

"Maybe. Maybe we were just exchanging gossip, instead." Corrin looked to the large doors leading out into the world, then back at Leo.

"We can go for a ride, if you want."

"Really?" Corrin felt herself perk up, before stopping herself. "…We can do that?"

Leo grabbed Brynhide by the bridle and led him out into the pathway. "Corrin, we're royalty. We can do whatever we like. Come on; up you go."

Rapid footsteps proceeded Lilith. "L-lord Leo! Please, allow me to-"

"No need, Lilith. Corrin and I are going out for a quick ride. Alone."

Lilith opened and closed her mouth a few times, eyes flitting from Corrin to Leo. Corrin nodded with a smile. Lilith visibly relaxed, almost appearing relieved. "Very well, then. Allow me to open the gates for you, at least."

It took Corrin a couple times to figure out the right way to mount Brynhide, but she got on the horse the right way in the end, Leo climbing up to sit in front of her. "Out of practice, sister?"

"I don't get many horse-riding opportunities here in the fortress."

"Fair enough." Leo grasped the reigns and clicked, urging Brynhide forward. Lilith had already opened the gate; Corrin mouthed 'thank you' to the young servant, who nodded with a smile.

It was moderately cold outside, the sun pale and distant, but Corrin didn't care. Brynhide trotted out of the stables at a pretty steady pace. Somehow, Corrin felt he was as happy to be out of there as she was. She took in a long breath of the fresh air, and sighed contentedly. "It's so nice to be outside again."

"I'm glad one of us thinks so." Leo remarked. Corrin could practically hear the smirk in his voice.

"Ooh, are you volunteering to swap with me? I'm sure I can convince Gunter to let us change places."

"Absolutely not." Leo pulled back on the reigns, causing Brynhide to stop. "Well, we're here."

"Here?" Corrin peeked over Leo's shoulder. Brynhide had stopped at the base of a small hill with a tree, not far from the fortress. A blanket was spread beneath the branches, with a basket keeping it from flying off into the unknown. Corrin grinned and gently punched Leo's shoulder. "Why didn't you tell me we were having a picnic today?"

"I'm sorry, I thought part of being a good brother meant having plenty of surprises." Leo dismounted Brynhide and helped Corrin get down, just barely concealing a grin. "Beyond that, you've only been bemoaning how you're never outside our whole visit. If this can get you to shut up then it's more than worth it to me."

Corrin rolled her eyes. The grass underneath her feet wasn't as soft as most grass, but she was so desperate for the outdoors she really couldn't bring herself to care much. "Well, consider me shut up then. Not in the literal sense, of course, thank Go- thank the gods."

Leo hooked Brynhide's reigns to a low-hanging branch and took a seat across from her on the blanket. "There's another reason I wanted to bring you here. Beyond this tree, we have a clear view all around, so there's no chance of being accidentally overheard."

"What's happened, then? It must be something serious. Or serious enough to be added on top of the other two reasons for our picnic."

Leo handed her a sandwich that consisted of about seventy-five percent tomato and twenty-five percent everything else. "I'll be blunt: if you can't manage to beat Xander tomorrow, he may lock you up in the fortress forever."

" _What_?" Corrin lowered her sandwich.

"Father demands only the best out of us. Not just as royalty, but as soldiers of Nohr. Also…" Leo's stony, if not mildly stern expression slipped, revealing an echo of worry. He looked around the clearing and lowered his voice. "There have been rumors that father is growing suspicious of you. For what, I don't know…but that may be why all of us were sent here instead of just Xander."

"Father…suspicious of me? But why? Have I done something wrong?" Corrin was holding the blanket so hard her knuckles turned white. Her sandwich lay mostly forgotten in her lap. "All I do is study here. I don't find that very suspicious."

Leo shook his head. "Like I said, it's just a rumor. Still…it would probably be best if you let the rest of us do the talking after we return to the capital." He snuck out a smile. "That is, assuming you're focused enough to defeat Xander tomorrow."

"What are you talking about? I have plenty of-" Corrin reached for her sandwich to find nothing there. His smile stretched into a smirk, and she lightly smacked his arm. "I hardly think that's fair, Leo."

* * *

 _Dissonance. Flashing lights and rapidly-changing colors._

 _A voice, beckoning forth. A world split into pieces, and yet…_

"… _take the place…"_

"… _who you're looking for. Sorry."_

"… _perfect match. The only option…"_

" _Are you so sure about that?"_

"… _nothing I could-"_

"… _still don't understand, why-"_

" _What's done is done. Your fate is the same as theirs, now."_

* * *

 **A/N: So what I always thought was a weird detail was how Corrin was all "Leo was such a sensitive boy, what happened?" in Birthright, despite how Leo acts** _ **nothing**_ **like that in any route, not even in the opening chapters? So I added in a sweet!/good brother!Leo scene, for CONSISTENCY. I understand the whole "Leo projects a tough persona over a sweet cinnamon roll inside" thing was more evident in the Japanese version, so it** _ **is**_ **canon sort of, but the localization seemed to ignore that? Guess that's another thing Treehouse missed lmao** **where the fuck is the last Fates DLC IntSys**

 **Also Leo's horse is named Brynhide (pronounced either brin-hide or brin-he-day, as is your want) that's fanon now. Xander names his child after his magic sword, Leo names his horse after his magic…tome…**

 **Okay that sounded better in my head but you get what I'm saying.**


	3. Bro just kicked my ass

**A/N: "Damn Pineapple, last time you updated fics this frequently you had a backlog the size of Missouri"**

 **I know lol I just REALLY want to get to that Big Twist ASAP. We're pretty much at the start of the game now, which means things can get real interesting real fast.**

* * *

"Lady Corrin…Lady Corrin!" A shot of ice magic caused Corrin to shake from her nightmare and the subsequent shock caused her to fall out of bed.

"Ow! I'm up, I'm up…" Corrin took Jakob's offered hand and let herself be pulled into a standing position. She frowned at Felicia's concerned expression. "What? Something wrong?"

It was Flora who answered her. The maid had a rather grim expression on her face. "You…were having another nightmare, milady."

Silence. For a brief moment, Corrin wondered why her retainers had just snuck into her room while she was sleeping, but none of them seemed very willing on continuing the discussion of that topic, Corrin included. She smoothed out her nightgown. "I…see. I'm sorry to have worried you all."

"Yes, but beyond all that, the sun may not yet be up, but it is indeed morning." Gunter ruffled her hair again.

"Xander was insistent on meeting you out on the roof for more practice." Jakob straightened out his vest. "I've already taken the liberty of readying your equipment and, err, pounding out the dents."

"Lord Xander sure is hard on you." Felicia mentioned, before realized what she had said. "Um, I mean-!"

"It's okay, Felicia." Corrin suppressed a yawn and walked through her retainers to the door. "He just wants me to be a strong warrior and all that. Well, let's not keep him waiting."

* * *

How Xander had gotten his horse in the roof, Corrin would never know, nor would she ever really have an opportunity to ask. More importantly, however, this was the first time she'd faced against an opponent on horseback. So obviously, she was getting her butt kicked.

A particularly hard swing knocked her onto her back. She got back up just fine, but was obviously winded, her sword left where it clattered to her side.

"What did I tell you?" Leo was there too. Possibly to hail a healer, if necessary. Or to snark at her some more. "You won't win against the greatest knight in Nohr if you don't focus, Corrin."

Corrin didn't really have the breath to speak, but she did glare rather heavily. "I _am_ -"

Xander's next strike was swift – she jumped out of the way, but still felt his training sword brush through her hair. "Giving up so quickly, Corrin? Such behavior is ill-fitting a princess of Nohr. I expect more of you! Pick up your sword and try again." Corrin grumbled under her breath. "Care to share your thoughts with the rest of us, little princess?" Xander's face was still as stern as always, but his voice carried the hint of a smile.

"I was just going to say how unfair it was to have me fight against you mounted, since we've never done that before, but I know what you're going to say." Corrin clasped her training sword in her left hand and put on a horrible imitation of her older brother "'War isn't fair, little princess. We train to defend ourselves from Hoshido. You must fight harder if you want to leave the Northern Fortress.'"

That did cause Xander to crack a smile, albeit a small one, as he adjusted his horse back into position. "Oh? What else am I saying?"

"Probably something about using my annoyance as fuel to defeat you. Which I will put into practice right now. Good talk, Xander."

"It appears I've become more predictable in my teaching methods. A thing to note on the report back to father…now, again!" Xander doubled back to the other end of the roof, waiting on a spot that almost seemed to…pulse, as if the ground beneath it had a heartbeat. Corrin found herself focusing on it, but when Leo gave her the signal to proceed, she did – if nothing else than to catch a closer look. She'd never seen a dragon vein this close before.

Corrin was close enough to attempt her first strike. Priming herself for the swing, Xander suddenly spoke, shaking her out of her thoughts.

"You swing timidly."

"What?"

"You fight without resolve…in this instance, you must genuinely try to kill me." Xander held his sword at the ready.

The time it took him to talk was all the time she needed. Corrin rushed forward and delivered her first blow, a heavy slash across Xander's shoulders. Her blade slid off his armor like butter, but she was sure there would be some sort of bruise. Xander's riposte was tough, but she endured the hit. Alongside all the other batters and bruises she'd gotten, however…

"Your wounds need attention." It wasn't a question. The world seemed to vibrate around him for a moment – that spot beneath him almost giving an audible thrum – and she felt something…shift, behind her. Xander had activated the dragon vein. "Go on, heal some of your wounds and try again."

Corrin frowned up at him. "Are you trying to throw the fight? I won't accept that, you know."

"He's trying to give you a chance thanks to that dragon vein." Leo called from the sidelines. "For the love of the gods, don't waste it."

Begrudgingly she backed up into the heal tile. As soon as she got both feet in the small area, she felt the worst of her bruises and scrapes melt off by its cooling light – sort of like mint, but felt instead of tasted. Corrin squared her shoulders. "All right, let's end this!"

The rest of the fight was a flurry of blades, but by the end of it, Corrin had managed to knock Xander off his horse. She fought off every instinct she possessed to wait until Leo called the fight before rushing over and helping their older brother back to his feet. "Are you okay? I-"

Xander laughed and pulled her into a hug. "You worry too much, Corrin. You fought valiantly today – it appears one day you will overcome me in terms of pure strength."

"Now you're just teasing me." Corrin turned her face to the side, but she did help him back up on his feet. "Will Yvonne be okay?"

"Yvonne has a will of silver. She'll be just fine – again, you worry far too much." Xander pat the side of his mare, and, as if that was some sort of signal, she trotted off to where the servants of the fortress were waiting.

"Especially for someone who's lived in isolation." Leo's remark caused Corrin's blood to freeze, but he carried on unawares. "Still, I hope the two of you realize there's more to strength then brutality and pointy sticks."

"As competitive as always, I see."

"Leo, you're a remarkable prodigy with immense magical talent, and Nohr is lucky to have you as a prince." Corrin nudged him with her elbow. "There. Your ego sufficiently stoked?"

"Maybe if you say it again, in front of someone not related to me."

"Er, before that." Xander cleared his throat. "Your collar is inside-out again, little brother."

"What?" Leo looked down. "Wh-why didn't you say anything earlier?"

"Well, we _were_ having a good family bonding mome…and he's gone." Leo had scampered off, presumably to get that fixed. Corrin allowed herself a small chuckle.

Camilla strode forwards, right on cue. "Are you hurt, Corrin? Let me know so I can take extra-special care of you…" She combed her hands through Corrin's hair and did a visual pass-over to check for any major damage.

"I'm okay. Xander used a dragon vein to activate a heal tile, so I'm pretty patched up at the moment."

"You beat him, right?" Elise's eyes seemed to sparkle.

Xander rested his hand on Corrin's back. "She sure did. Now, Corrin, I'm sure Leo already told you in that secret picnic he thinks I don't know about, but-"

"Ooh, let me tell her, Xander." Camilla cut in. She pulled Corrin's hands into her own. "You're coming back to the capital with us…and you're staying, this time. Isn't that wonderful? You're free!"

"I'm…free?"

Elise butted her way in and gave Corrin a hug. "Now we can all be together as a family forever! I love you so much, Corrin. More than anything in the whole wide world!" Corrin hugged Elise back and spun her around a couple times, causing the younger girl to giggle.

Leo returned to the scene. "You two are such children, I swear."

"Are you feeling left out of the hug party, brother?"

"Not on your life."

* * *

"For now, Felicia and Flora will remain here in the Northern Fortress." Gunter finished loading another small bag onto Jakob's horse. "Jakob, you are to stay with Lady Corrin."

"Of course."

Speaking of whom, Corrin had been pulled aside a few minutes ago by Lilith, and the two appeared to be sharing a rather intense hushed conversation. Lilith in particular looked extremely worried, but she did nod in response to something Corrin said.

"Corrin!" Elise jumped up on her sister's back. "The bags are all packed…you ready to go?"

She twirled the two of them around for a little bit before putting Elise down. "Are you kidding? Of course I'm ready."

"Good luck, lady Corrin." Lilith nodded again, forcing herself to smile. "I hope…you'll achieve happiness."

Corrin smiled back. "Thanks, Lilith. You too."

* * *

Castle Krakenburg was unlike any other castle Corrin had ever seen – a massive inverted building burrowing into the deepest recesses of the earth. Camilla led her dragon down in an impressive nose dive, leaving the rest of them to make their way down farther and farther the other way.

Elise somehow managed to keep a constant running commentary the whole way down, pointing out different places and people and the like. The horses were taken to a stable house aboveground – the servants working there looked like they were constipated. Corrin wasn't quite sure she liked them.

"Our audience with father won't be until tomorrow." Xander lead the group into a living room or study of some sort – Gunter and Jakob had already parted ways to the servant's quarters. "Of course, I expect all of you to be on your best behavior."

Camilla had rejoined the group at some point, as well. She sat next to Corrin on the mushy couch. "I don't think that's a concern, brother. Corrin would never do anything to upset father – right, dear?"

"Right." Corrin hoped she wasn't clutching the couch cushions too tightly. Tomorrow, her journey truly began.

After a few hours of playing cards, Xander declared they all needed to head to bed. Corrin was lead into a lavish bedroom suite, presumably where she would be staying until further notice. It was much larger than her room in the northern fortress, which was saying something. Her new bed had to have been at least king-sized, and with rich purple drapes all around. The stone floor was mostly covered by a plush rug, and there was a particularly large window looking out into the lower recesses of the capital. She also had her own full bathroom and a walk-in closet, which, _bonus._ Corrin allowed herself to take a very long bath before changing into another plain white nightgown and voyaging into the unknown recesses of her bed.

* * *

" _Bend your legs slightly – there, don't move. Now, shift your grip just the slightest bit…Good. Now, come at me."_

" _Hya!"_

 _Swoosh, thud_

" _You're off-balance again."_

" _I wouldn't be off-balance if you didn't force me into that stupid position every time!"_

" _Okay, so how would you hold your pose the-?"_

 _Smack_

" _That was uncalled for."_

" _Was it? I did manage to land a hit on you."_

" _You're supposed to fight honorably. Xander would never-"_

" _Oh, shut up about what Xander would or wouldn't do. You want me to use a sword? Look, I'm using a swo-"_

 _Woosh_

 _Clang, clink_

 _Woosh, thud._

" _Again."_

" _I hate you."_

* * *

 **A/N: WE'RE ALMOST AT THE BIG TWIST YOU GUYS**

 **IT'S LIKE…FOUR CHAPTERS AWAY OR SO**

 **ARE YOU EXCITED? I'M EXCITED**

 **Slide over with your theories so I can be all mysterious and non-forthcoming :3c**


	4. SPARE

**A/N: I am on a roll with this one, boyyy.**

 **I guess I'll just…keep going, and see what happens?**

* * *

King Garon cut a powerful figure, dressed in full battle attire with his huge axe, Bölverk, at his side. Corrin was sure a lesser man would have been intimidated in some way. He met her and the rest of the royal family shortly after breakfast, which he did not attend. Xander said father was usually too busy to meet with the rest of them outside of official meetings, like today; Corrin knew better, but kept her mouth shut. It was too early for that, anyway.

"I hear you have bested your older brother in combat, my daughter." Garon said, finally. "Well done. You're well on your way of proving yourself to be a soldier worthy of Nohr."

Corrin nodded. "Thank you, father." Out of the corner of her eye, Xander nodded as well. He'd told her to be very careful around father – as if she needed the reminder. Elise was practically bouncing on her heels with excitement, but for the first time since Corrin had met her, she was completely silent, as well.

Garon looked down at her with a pensive gaze. "As you are a part of the Draconic Accord, you possess the power of Dämmerung, the dusk dragon, within your blood. With it comes immense strength – enough to wipe out large portions of the Hoshidian army alone. Xander, Camilla, and Leo have all shown that they possess such strength – now it is your turn. Take this." He stretched out his palm towards her and flicked his wrist. The air a few inches ahead of her seemed to shimmer, and a deadly-looking purple sword shimmered into being. "This is Ganglari, a powerful blade forged from materials of another world. It is my gift to you, daughter."

"Th-thank you, father." Corrin reached out and grasped the hilt, feeling a shimmer of energy run up her arm that caused her whole body to shake. Or was she shaking because she knew of its purpose? She could feel more than see Xander and Gunther's proud smiles, and allowed herself a half-second to breathe.

"But mere reports of your strength will not satisfy me. I must see your ability with my own eyes. Guards! Bring in the Hoshidian spies." Garon beckoned with his arm before crossing it with his other. Something was off, but Corrin couldn't quite place it. Was she merely imagining the fatherly glimmer in his eyes, or..?

"Spies, father?" Xander stood next to her, a comforting presence. "What do you mean? The capital is impregnable."

Garon sighed. "Yes, and so I believed as well. But there remain a few cracks that are still being sealed; cracks enough for a few slimy worms to slip through."

"Hoshidian scum." Jakob's voice was cold. Corrin swallowed thickly.

The doors whined open on rusted hinges, and a small group of Hoshidian samurai, as well as an oni savage and a ninja, were lead into the large room by members of the Nohrian guard. The oni savage was a strong-looking woman with a surly gaze, but the ninja looked around impassively at his surroundings, seemingly at peace. As Corrin had turned to face the spies, Garon moved to stand behind her and Xander.

"We found these scrambling around your own quarters, young one. They have been privy to the innermost workings of castle Krakenburg, and must be dealt with appropriately. Take Ganglari and your retainers, and strike them down."

The prisoners were escorted to a small area, the center filled with rubble. Corrin clutched Ganglari just a little tighter in her left hand. "Yes, father."

The Hoshidians were given crude, simple weaponry, and told to fight for their chance of freedom. It was obvious this was a fight weighed heavily in Corrin's favor, even if she and her retainers were outnumbered; their opponents looked exhausted and malnourished. Desperate – which could mean dangerous, still. Corrin turned to face a large pile of rubble covering the middle of the semi-arena. Beneath it was a large healing platform, and but a few feet in front of her pulsed a dragon vein.

Gunter had mounted his horse and trotted over, Jakob in tow. "It is my honor to serve you, milady. My lance arm is, perhaps, rusty, but still strong."

"Where you lead, we shall follow, Lady Corrin."

Corrin nodded, keeping her eyes on the flickering form of the dragon vein. She entered the mini-arena, and faced her opponents with Ganglari at her side. "I am princess Corrin of Nohr. Please, don't take this too personally, but I must prove myself to king Garon."

"I am Rinkah, daughter of the fire tribe's chieftain. You will pay for this dishonor." The oni savage woman hefted a crude bronze club over her shoulder and regarded Corrin with a practiced distain. The ninja looked surprised, but said nothing.

The battle began. Corrin wasted no time – she ran up to the dragon vein, feeling the ancient energy flow through her body. She shuddered, and activated it, sending the rubble flying back upwards and re-fitting itself into the roof. Her plan was simple – now that the heal spot was open, she, Jakob, and Gunter could hide in there and let the Hoshidians come to them. Any injuries they suffered would be healed almost instantly afterwards; this really was an easy battle. She almost felt bad for Rinkah and Kaze.

It didn't take long. Corrin lowered Ganglari, although she didn't turn her backs on the defeated Hoshidians. "Do you yield?"

Rinkah looked like she had some choice words, but Kaze cut her off. "We have no choice but to. You fight well, princess."

Garon clapped. "Well done, daughter. Now finish the job."

"The…job, father?" Corrin turned her head towards her father. "You asked me to strike down the Hoshidians, not to kill in cold blood."

Perhaps it was just her, but the temperature in the room seemed to drop significantly. "Now is not the time to argue over semantics, child. Kill them."

Corrin faced her father and crossed her arms, dropping Ganglari at her feet. "No."

"No? You dare defy the king of Nohr?" Yes, _this_ was the Garon she expected. Already he was building up a powerful spell in one hand, eyes bulging with anger.

"Corrin…" Xander's tone was a sharp warning she promptly ignored.

She sucked in a breath. "I don't _want_ to defy you, but you must give me a good reason why to kill these people when they're unarmed and clearly-"

Garon flicked his wrist, sending a barrage of fireballs down on the Hoshidians. Kaze and Rinkah were the only two spared…all the others were crispy corpses. "We do not enjoy killing, child. We do it so Nohr can remain strong. If we let all those Hoshidians live, they would tell others of our weak spots. Even more so now you dare to openly defy me. Do you not see? Winning this war is as much fighting with our wits then with blood."

"But-"

"Silence!" Garon brandished his axe. "I will not discuss this matter with you any further. I command you again. Kill the Hoshidians, or I will cut you down with them."

Ganglari glinted up at her, as if it were watching all this unfold. She glared down at it, but otherwise did not move. She could hear her siblings holding some sort of conversation in hushed tones, but other than that the silence dragged on for a few more moments.

"Well?" Garon snapped.

"I-" The ground rumbled suddenly, causing Corrin to get knocked off her balance. Magic trees emerged from beneath Rinkah and Kaze, and their bodies went still.

Leo stood in between her and king Garon. "Father, I have dispatched of the spies on behalf of my headstrong sister." Camilla rushed over to help her to her feet. "I only ask that you be merciful in your punishment…"

"Humph. We will discuss the matter later." Garon turned away and walked off. As soon as his footsteps faded into nothingness, Corrin allowed herself to breathe.

"Leo, you…"

The prince rolled his eyes. "No, that spell wasn't strong enough to kill them. You know how upset Camilla and Elise get whenever I do something that upsets you."

She gave him a hug. "Thank you."

"Still, it would be best if we all tread carefully from now on." Camilla placed her hand on her back. "Father never forgets a slight…"

* * *

Nights in Nohr were always chill, but the night they set Rinkah and Kaze free was especially so. Corrin wasn't sure how the oni savage stayed warm, but then again – she was from the fire tribe.

Xander stood next to her, impassively. "It is only by the kindness of princess Corrin's heart that you two live to see another day. Now go, before our guards capture you again."

"Princess Corrin…" Kaze stared at her for a moment, thinking to himself, before vanishing into the night.

Rinkah wasn't all that convinced. "Kindness, huh? Letting us go free is a far worse fate then dying in battle. If we ever meet again, I will make sure you pay for this disgrace, princess."

"If we ever meet again, then I'll be glad you're alive for me to pay it." Corrin shrugged.

The oni savage narrowed her eyes. "I've heard rumors of a princess of Nohr who knows nothing of the world…I never would have expected her to be so pragmatic, as well."

"I'm full of surprises. Who knows? Maybe after I've paid for the disgrace, we can be friends." Without another word, Rinkah vanished into the night. Corrin watched her go. A sudden gust of wind blew through the empty courtyard, and she shivered, but not because of the cold.

Ganglari seemed to glow menacingly in the dark. If it were possible, could she change things so soon? But…what would happen if she did?

* * *

" _I would have done it willingly, you know."_

" _Done what?"_

" _All…this, I guess. If you'd asked, instead of forcing me here."_

" _It's a bit late for such statements."_

" _Maybe. Maybe not. Just…something I felt I should tell you. Next time you get in a kidnappy mood, I hope you'll keep it in mind."_

* * *

 **A/N: I pretty much took a week off but I'm glad to be back!**


	5. STRIFE!

**A/N: Surprise, bitch.**

 **Bet you thought you'd seen the last of me.**

* * *

The bottomless canyon looked like a gaping wound cut into the earth. According to myth, it had been gouged out by one of the first dragons in about 7000 D.A., and ever since had served as the natural border between Hoshido and Nohr as well as the surrounding territories. It was a harsh, cold place, and hardly anything grew. Corrin wasn't quite sure she liked it very much - and that was assuming there was nothing but stone in its depths. Ganglari had begun to glow softly as they approached, which she didn't take as a good sign. Although, it was an almost imperceptible change – even with the clouds overhead so black it was as if there was a void above them as well as below. Lightning flashed somewhere above, almost immediately followed by thunder so loud it caused some looser pebbles to tumble down into the canyon.

"This place sure is the life of the party." Corrin sat behind Gunter on his horse. She supposed bringing up some form of conversation would stop the rapidly-rising panic attack she got every time she remembered what was _really_ down there – and what was yet to come.

"I suppose even our optimist has her limits." Gunter chuckled. "Yes, this place appears to be abandoned, and that's a good thing. Do you know why?"

"The Hoshidians aren't-" Corrin spoke too soon. Ahead, in the gloom, she could see figures moving. She considered swearing under her breath, but decided against it and just got off the horse.

"Halt!" A young samurai shouted from across one of the many bridges. "Step any further and you'll be violating our border treaty."

"Why the devil is this place crawling with Hoshidians..?" Gunter mumbled under his breath.

Corrin raised her hands, Ganglari still tied at her waist. "Now, hold on a moment. We're not looking to start a fight, and I'm certain we can resolve this peacefully." Still, she knit her brows together. Something about this was off…why were there so many Hoshidians at the border, when they usually were more than content to stay back in their kingdom? And then there were the spies…

Corrin struggled to keep her expression neutral. _Oh my god, they're scoping out an attack._

"Oh, now you want to resolve things peacefully?" The leader, some sort of ninja, sneered at her.

Corrin's brows furrowed. "I am not my king. Please, calm down and we can-"

"Raaagh!" Hans flew past her in a murderous fury, axe a dangerous extension of his arm.

"Hans, what-" Corrin could hardly believe her eyes. "Stand down, Hans! That's an _order_!"

"Everyone, at the ready! The Nohrians are attacking!"

Jakob sighed. "Just what we needed. Another skirmish against the Hoshidians."

It was hard to see too far, but Corrin could distinctly sense a couple dragon veins nearby. "If we take the fortress, we should be able to stop the fighting…"

"What about Hans?"

Corrin sighed. "We'll deal with him later. Father was insistent that we wouldn't need to fight…I'm sure he won't be pleased that Hans was the catalyst for all this." That was assuming there was more to the king than met the eye, but Gunter did call her the optimist, after all. Might as well try to live up to the title.

The bridges were made of creaky old wood, but they did hold under the combined weight of Corrin, Jakob, and Gunter, still on his horse. She thought she could see some runes etched into the wood, but that was the least of their concerns at the moment.

It was hard to hear anything under another boom of thunder, but the lighting that came before it did light up a fortress across another bridge, on the Hoshidian end of the canyon, swarming with samurai and a few archers. Okay, so not _that_ way, although Hans had already sprinted across that bridge.

Well, at least it wasn't raining, although Corrin was sure that wouldn't be the case for long. She and her retainers continued on towards the gentle pulse of a dragon vein, the sounds of Hans' carnage echoing off the canyon walls.

The hairs on the back of Corrin's neck rose when she moved to stand in the dragon vein, and she suppressed a shudder. The more she forced herself to activate them, the easier they were to use. As soon as she stopped shuddering a crude bridge made of stone materialized, providing an easy path to the rickety old outpost that was supposed to be abandoned. Lightning flashed again, illuminating the silhouettes of Hoshidians guarding their leader.

It was a brutal, cold clash, and Corrin hated every minute of it. Ganglari seemed just a touch heavier, as if it was trying to throw itself down into the canyon. Hell, it probably was. Every dodge was harder with such an impediment; each strike lessoned from its full potential. And all the while, the intense feeling of being watched by something below.

Finally, nothing stood between her and the leader of this troop. She raised her blade, slick with blood, and pointed it at him. "I give you one last chance. Tell your troops to retreat and we can finish this clash with no need for more blood."

The ninja gnashed his teeth at her. "We will leave no quarter – have at you!"

* * *

Corrin supposed that it was a little too early to change things. But that didn't stop the remorse from filling her whole body after seizing the lookout. It had finally started to rain, and she had taken shelter in the doorway, smelling musty rotted wood alongside blood. The corpses had been gathered and put into a pile to be burned – it was the best thing she could come up with in the moment.

Gunter trotted over and dismounted. "No sign of Hans anywhere, milady. Not even among the dead."

"That's concerning, but not our major concern at the moment." Corrin sighed, stepping out into the drizzle. Any moment now, Saizo would be here, and her siblings would come to rescue her. "I think the Hoshidians are preparing to attack us."

"That's quite the claim." Gunter mused. Jakob was trying, in vein, to start a fire of some sort. "What evidence do you have to support it?"

She threaded fingers through her too-long, too-white hair. "Well, that's what I think, anyway. Send spies to the capital to scope out defenses – see if the border is secure. If that _is_ what they're planning, it's probably guerilla warfare – don't let us know what's going on until it's already happened. The only thing I don't know is the _why_."

Gunter and Jakob shared a look, but said nothing for a short while. It was Jakob who broke the silence. "I doubt they'd need one. Hoshido hates us and all we stand for, Milady. They'd take any chance to kill us all – we're savages, don't you know?" He laughed, coldly.

As if on cue, a shuriken whizzed through the cold bleakness and embedded itself on the left doorpost with a _thuk_. The three of them jumped into action. Corrin forced herself to unsheathe Ganglari again, although her palms were clammy and she was _really_ not in the mood to fight again.

"Savages and murderers, to boot." A voice growled from the darkness. "Give me one good reason not to kill you right now."

Corrin lowered her sword, only slightly. "Wounding me emotionally would give much higher dividends."

The movement out in the black stilled suddenly. " _What_?"

"Get away from my sister!" A streak of pure energy bolted through the darkness, hitting its mark, which hissed. Xander cantered into the clearing, followed closely by the other members of the Nohrian royal family, save Garon.

Corrin sheathed Ganglari, which still pulsed menacingly. "Well, it's about time."

"Ah, and here I was hoping we could surprise you." Leo and Brynhide were close, trying to form a protective wall over her and Elise. "I forgot you've recently been blessed with clairvoyance."

"Or you're getting predictable."

Xander turned to look back at them. "Corrin, what's happened here?"

"We found the fort filled with Hoshidians, and, well…" She suddenly felt very sick to her stomach. "I tried diplomacy, but Hans…so…"

"Gunter, Jakob. Take princess Corrin and get her out of here. We'll follow."

"Milord?"

"No, I agree." Corrin said. "King Garon just wanted us to survey the area. There's no need to engage further, especially now that it's dark. But, Xander…" She shook her head. "Never mind. I'll tell you later."

Assuming she got a chance before Hans showed back up.

* * *

It was almost impossible to see, now. Corrin was only able to follow by the sound of Gunter's steed thundering along, as well as the sudden flash of lightning overhead. Her hands were shaking. She pulled her sword back out, trying to discover any sign of Hans in the gloom. She found none.

They slowed to a stop in the middle of a long bridge, halfway over the canyon. Corrin felt herself beginning to hyperventilate. "Where's…where's Jakob? He was supposed to be… right behind us."

"He'll find his way to us." Gunter said. "Are you all right, milady? You sound winded."

"I'm fine!" Corrin said, sounding the exact opposite of fine. "I'm fine. I just…need a moment to think."

Something shimmered ahead of them, ethereal. It appeared to be some sort of cloaked figure, somehow both visible and invisible at the same time. Corrin's heart stopped.

"YOU." It – he – boomed, loud as the thunder overhead. "IMPOSTER."

Gunter calmed his horse. "What in the devil-?"

Fast as lightning, it struck. The ropes connecting the bridge together snapped. The ground fell away. Corrin couldn't breathe – couldn't scream. She let go of Ganglari, watching it fall into the black abyss below. Gunter… she had already lost sight of him. It would be too late for him now.

"Oh gods!" Something light blue zipped beneath her, and began to lift her back up. "Are you all right? Oh gods, oh astral dragons, that was terrifying."

"Nick of time, Lilith." Corrin let out a long, slow breath, forcing her heartrate to slow back down again. "Seems you have a bad habit of that."

"If I knew you were going to sass me, I'd have just let you fall into the canyon."

"No you wouldn't."

Lilith sighed. "No, I wouldn't." She was a small, goldfish-like dragon now, clutching onto a pearl. Despite her diminutive size, she seemed completely unencumbered by Corrin's weight as she began to fly back up, out of the canyon. "I almost didn't get here in time. You said it would be Hans!"

"I thought it would be Hans!" Corrin griped. "Were is that thumb-looking bastard, anyway?"

Lilith's tail swished in the air. "Maybe the Hoshidians killed him?"

"Maybe. I think Hoshido planning to attack Nohr. This fort was supposed to be abandoned, but…and the spies, too. That's something I never realized before." Corrin shifted her grip. "Wonder why."

"Did you tell Lord Xander and the others?"

"No, but I told Jakob. Wherever he is." She sighed. "God, I'm tired."

* * *

 _Dear Diary. Day…fuck, I don't know. I think we're up to weeks, now._

 _Everything hurts. You'd think someone with nigh-unlimited power might be able to make this happen a little faster, but no._

 _I feel so angry all the time. And sad. But mostly angry. Okay, a little alone, too. Turns out Sir But Thou Must doesn't exactly offer the most scintillating conversation. Who knew, am I right?_

* * *

 **A/N: Man where did that dastardly thumb man run off too? Guess there's only one way to find out.**


	6. Corrin: Reunite with loving family

Corrin expected the headache upon regaining consciousness, but that didn't make it any less painful. The world beyond her headache was far too bright and certainly too _loud_. It was like she had been placed in the front row of a death metal concert, or something. But the mattress she had been put on was soft, the blankets like silk. Hm. Not exactly what she was expecting. It seems the whole world was bent on surprise after surprise.

Where _was_ Hans, anyway? And then there was the man himself, king Garon. He didn't seem to be the insane war-mongering slime monster she expected. Was that a good thing? Bad? Ugh. All this wondering was just making her headache worse.

Corrin sat up and caught her first glimpse of Hoshido. The room she had been placed in was mostly empty; a small scattering of children's toys and half-finished drawings were splayed across the floor, and there were a couple paintings of fish and other animals hanging from the walls. There was one short bookshelf, sparsely filled. She wasn't on a bed, per se; it was more like a very comfy mat of some kind. The sunlight streaming in through the windows just managed to hit her face laying down – that was probably what woke her. It appeared to be around midday… maybe midmorning? Outside the many windows she caught sight of a beautiful country, almost ethereal. Almost.

The noise appeared to have been an argument going on, somewhere beyond her current location. Lacking anything better to do, Corrin got up, attempted to fold the blankets, and placed them back on the mat. One thing no amount of training could change – she was still god awful at folding. Hey, at least she had the whole princess thing as an excuse now.

Corrin placed a hand to her side. Although Ganglari was lost to the bottomless canyon, she did remember to bring one thing from the astral castle after Lilith's timely rescue. It was a smooth, roughly avocado-sized stone that glinted like stained glass when held up to the light. The stone was still on her person, which was good. Something like that you didn't want to lose anytime soon. Assuming, of course, that it would even work.

The argument appeared to have reached its climax, and ended. Someone, presumably the loser, stomped off. Corrin was still just bleary enough to where she couldn't quite catch all of it, but wow, it sure was some row those people just had. Peace-loving Hoshido, huh. Corrin yawned, loud and audibly. Testing the waters.

She noticed there was only one door. One of those sliding kinds, with a pretty design on it, looking like a white dragon mid-flight, but… cartoonish. Suitable for the kiddos. On the other side, she heard someone take in a breath, sharply, and scatter off. Hm.

Corrin contented herself with pulling the first book she saw off of the shelves and thumbing through what apparently was a children's picture book about the dawn dragon, Yoake. It talked of how Yoake chose the Hoshidian royal family to serve it in the time of the First Dragons, and how the Hoshidian Royals could still call upon its strength to the current day. So… nothing new, really, but interesting nonetheless. The use of colors and shapes was actually very expertly done. Unfortunately, there did not appear to be any information on the author or illustrator. Darn.

The door slid open. "Hey." Rinkah leaned against the doorframe with a cheeky grin on her face.

Corrin put the book back onto the shelf. "You're…Rinkah, right? Didn't you say you were going to exact revenge on me?"

"Oh, believe me, princess. Given the legal opportunity, I will make you pay for dishonoring me." The tribeswoman shrugged. "But first, there are some people who have been expecting you. Come on. We don't want to keep them waiting."

Castle Shirasagi was almost the exact opposite of castle Krakenburg. Literally. Where Krakenburg dug itself deep into the earth, Shirasagi seemed to stretch upwards, beyond the clouds. The corridors were a bit narrower, but more lavishly decorated. Corrin was glad all she had to do was follow Rinkah's lead for the moment – there was no way she'd be able to navigate this place by herself. It was also a lot quieter than castle Krakenburg – the servants and soldiers all went silent as soon as she came into view, staring at her like she was...a forgotten memory, suddenly recalled. Like she had been presumed dead.

The pair made their way through an open courtyard – above, a Pegasus soared, landing on one of the higher floors – and into the largest room so far, even with an ornate throne on an elevated base taking up most of the space. There were only two other people that she could see. One of them was the green haired ninja, Kaze, and the other was a man with a lion's mane of hair and a fierce disposition. Ryoma.

"Her highness, princess Corrin." Rinkah said, stepping aside to let her enter the room properly.

"Thank you for your service, Rinkah. You have done a great deed for Hoshido; we are in the flame tribe's debt." The lion man nodded, his arms crossed.

Rinkah waved his comment off. "Your people have been our strongest allies since the days of the first dragons. I have no doubt you would have done the same for us."

Kaze had been staring at her since she had come into his field of view. It was a little unnerving. "You must be very confused, lady Corrin."

"Well…" She tugged on a strand of her hair. "I wouldn't mind getting some answers. For starters: why am I here? I assume this isn't where you would put prisoners of war."

"Rest assured, you are no prisoner. Not anymore." Ryoma had kept his arms crossed this entire time, but now he allowed them to fall to his sides.

Corrin tried to speak, but she was interrupted. The door at the opposite end of the room had been frantically pulled open. The servant wasn't able to finish his introduction when a woman with long, black hair rushed into the room and pulled Corrin into an embrace.

"My baby…my sweet starshine…I missed you so much!" the woman wept into her hair, holding on as if Corrin would dissolve after letting go.

"U-um." Corrin returned the hug, but gently. "What…"

The woman seemed to compose herself, somewhat. She wiped away her tears and took a small step back, taking her all in. "Corrin, I…I'm your mother. You're home now."

Home? Did such a place even exist anymore? Or had _he_ taken that from her, too? Corrin squashed the bitterness in her heart. This was supposed to be a happy moment. "I…I don't understand." Okay, she had pushed things before, but there was no escaping it anymore: that was a big stinking lie. She pressed her lips together, afraid to say any more in case alarm bells started ringing. The hooded figure from the bottomless canyon resurfaced in her memory, and she pushed him back down, too.

Ryoma had stepped a little closer, although still keeping his distance. "It's a rather cruel story. When you were still a baby, king Garon lured our father over the sea. He claimed to seek peace, but what he was really after…was you. You were kidnapped, hidden away, and raised as a Nohrian. We sent ninja to scour every inch of that cursed land, but king Garon had hidden you quite well." He shook his head. "But then we got a lead – the whole royal family in castle Krakenburg. Including you. Our suspicions were confirmed when you spared the lives of Rinkah and Kaze – no _true_ Nohrian would defy their king in such a way."

"So then…you…" Corrin started. Could the perceived attack-to-be actually have been a rescue mission? No. There was some piece to this puzzle still missing. There was always something she couldn't see.

"Yes, this is your older brother. Your _true_ older brother. Ryoma." Queen Mikoto seemed to have stopped crying for the moment, although she still hadn't quite let her go. "I know this might seem hard to understand…I don't blame you if you have doubts. Even if you don't remember us. But we are your real family."

* * *

 _Real family, huh?_ Corrin looked around the room she had woken up in, queen Mikoto pointing a few small things out. Drawings she had supposedly made; what her favorite toys used to be. Recalling favorite memories. At least she wasn't crying anymore, so Corrin let her. She was _trying_ to get into the spirit of things.

For a moment, Corrin entertained the thought of all this being true – if she really had been Corrin, Hoshidian princess. Trying to recall memories that were never there… the images murky, like she was watching them unfold at the bottom of a pond. Would anything have changed? She'd certainly feel better. For a moment, she lost herself in the world of hypotheticals. A world where she could be happier about her supposed real family. A world where the truth finally slipped out of her grasp.

But it never lasted for too long. At some point or another, the pretend world – pretend memories – would dissolve into mist. It was all too good to be true. She looked wrong, everything – it was all _wrong_. Off. Her friends…the past…it clung to her like a second skin, wrapped around her throat and began to _choke_.

"Corrin?" Queen Mikoto's hand was soft against her cheek. "Are you…all right?"

Corrin looked down, at the scattered papers and half-finished drawings pooled at her feet. At the life she had been thrust into; a past she could never have. "It's just…I believe you could be my mother, but…I don't remember any of this. I want to, but every time I try…" She shut her eyes. "It's like… trying to act for a part in a play you've never seen or heard of before." _You're not just playing, you're preforming. The way you carry yourself is part of that performance._

"And that's fine." Mikoto's words were soft. "I expected they would have done everything in their power to lock your past away from you. It'll come; just give it time. If I can help shed light on the memories you've lost…help make new memories, full of happiness and hope…that's all I can hope to do."

Corrin lifted her own hand to touch her mother's. "Thank you, queen – uh. Mother."

"We've just received reports of an attack on the northern end, presumably faceless." Ryoma interrupted their heart-to-heart with some bad news, appearing seemingly out of nowhere. He had already put on his armor, with Raijinto slightly sparking at his side. In person, it was all a little intimidating. Corrin was glad she probably wouldn't be facing the pointy end of his magical electric sword anytime soon.

Mikoto placed her hand on his shoulder, suddenly very serious. "Who are you taking with you?"

Ryoma's gaze shifted to Corrin. "Can you fight?"

"With a blade, yes."

"Good. I want you to come with me. There's something I need to make abundantly clear."

Oh boy.

* * *

The ride north was mostly silent. Ryoma didn't seem one for idle conversation, and Corrin wasn't really in the mood to talk, either. She had been given an iron katana, and that was about as much as she knew on how to use it. The shape and weight was so different from anything she'd used before – slender, almost slippery. Certainly very sharp. But she hadn't exactly been given the opportunity to practice, so.

Hoshido's countryside was full of life and color. Civilians waved at them as they passed, and the air was alive with the sound of birds and bugs alike. It was a beautiful ride even as the air got steadily colder - by anime logic, she was pretty sure.

"Have you been told what a faceless is?" It was the first time Ryoma had spoken in quite a while, so maybe he spoke softly as to keep her from jumping. Corrin was sitting behind him, so she couldn't see his expression.

Corrin stopped tapping out a beat on her thigh and responded. "Not really. I'm assuming whatever it is, it's not good."

Kaze and Rinkah were also there, riding alongside them. Rinkah spat on the ground. "They're a blight upon this earth. Unnatural."

"It's said they were first created by mages and scientists from the remains of dead soldiers. They're great hulking beasts, roaming the land with no desire but to kill and destroy." Kaze added, looking thoughtful. "Nohr denies having anything to do with their creation, but it's an obvious lie. Anyone could tell it was their magic, and not ours, that could have caused such a thing."

"I don't know what you were taught, but when you see them, you'll understand the truth of your supposed homeland." Raijinto sparked at Ryoma's side. "Nohr knows nothing but how to cause destruction and pain; their king is a corrupt madman who seeks to destroy us and our peaceful ways. Garon had only kidnapped you to use you as a pawn – I have no doubt he would stop at nothing to kill you now that you stand with us. That is the truth, my long-lost sister. The sooner you accept it, the better."

Corrin kept quiet. She had a feeling nothing she could say about her time in Nohr would change his mind to any significant degree, just as she was sure nothing she could or would say about Hoshido would change Xander's mind, or the minds of any of her Nohrian siblings. And all this talking about the truth? _Please_.

Ryoma looked back at her over his shoulder and offered a reassuring smile. "I'm only being rough on you because I feel I have to be. Once we know Hinoka, Sakura, and the others are safe, we can start learning how to be a family again. Sound good?"

"I – um – yeah." Corrin tried to smile back, but she could feel it was a bit crooked and twitchy. "It's just…a lot to take in all at once?"

Ryoma nodded, facing forwards again. "Fair enough. We've got plenty of time until we reach where the reports came from. Just be sure you're ready to fight when we get there."

"Right."

* * *

Corrin's first encounter with the faceless was very similar to most. She turned around in the fresh snow, and saw a monster, straight from a child's imagination after reading the works of Mary Shelley for the first time. Hulking, with bulging muscles and metal bolts, and a mask, from which emitted a horrible stench. It sensed her presence, and began to churn up the snow in pursuit. The faceless didn't bother with weapons; a fist the size of her skull, if not bigger, began baring down on her. As it turned out, although rock beats scissors, sword beats fist. A cloud of dark, foul-smelling mist fizzed from the injured hand, and the faceless let out a howl, alerting a couple other of the beasts. Out of nowhere, a shuriken whizzed past her face, embedding itself into the faceless' mask and piercing the skull. It howled again, before dissolving into mist, leaving the shuriken behind. Kaze walked over and calmly recovered his weapon. "We'll have a hard time getting anything to grow up here, come sowing season." He said, perfectly calm with his surroundings. "Something about the remains of these things taint the soil. Are you all right, lady Corrin?"

Corrin's breath fogged into puffy little clouds that spiraled out of sight. "All this running around is keeping me from getting cold. You?"

"Just wait until the battle's over, then." The ninja chuckled. "I am perfectly fine. Are you sure you're uninjured? I have a vulnerary."

Corrin waved him off, scanning her surroundings. It was late afternoon, almost evening. Ryoma was cutting through the faceless like the proverbial knife through butter, causing snow and faceless mist to spray into the air. Not too far away, Rinkah embedded her club in the skull of another faceless with a battle cry almost as loud as the monster's final screech. There were only two faceless left now that she could see – one of them was gaining on Sakura, and the other was approaching Hinoka. "Looks like we're almost done here. There don't seem to be many of them left."

Rinkah made her way over to the two of them, hefting her club over her shoulder. "Usually the faceless have done more damage by the time we get here. Seems we got lucky. Now, are we going to sit by and chat, or are we going to finish this?"

With Ryoma around, sitting back and chatting was a perfectly viable option. But Rinkah probably wouldn't like that answer, so instead, Corrin unsheathed her katana. "Finishing things quickly is probably the better option. It'll be dark before too long."

* * *

Hinoka was taller than Corrin expected, although she wasn't quite sure what to expect, really. She was just a few inches short of standing shoulder to shoulder with the monolith also known as Ryoma, and her naginata seemed to add onto the image. She stood, her Pegasus currently earning some well-deserved rest in the small village's meager stable, and examined her supposed younger sister closely while Ryoma, Kaze, and Rinkah told Corrin's story for her. It wasn't a piercing gaze, or even all that harsh – it was the look of someone who was worried her parents had replaced a beloved childhood toy instead of washing it like they said. Apprehensive, but at the same time… hopeful. When the three of them were done telling the story, Hinoka still said nothing.

In the silence, she thrust the butt end of her naginata into the snow and stomped up to Corrin, expressionless. After examining her face for a little while longer, the tension so thick it could be cut, she took another step closer and pulled Corrin into her second crushing bear hug of the day. As her hands were being pinned to her sides, Corrin couldn't return the hug this time, instead just standing there like a boob.

"U-um…big sister?" Oh yeah, Sakura was there, too. She was short, but taller than Elise, and certainly quieter.

Hinoka let out a choked sob. "We finally found you. F-finally, after all this time…" Corrin was able to wiggle her arms free, and with her newfound mobility made to gently pat her """real older sister""" on the back. "You're _home_."

Home. Corrin swallowed past the lump in her throat, feeling a very familiar ache in her found herself tearing up, and allowed it, just this once. "I'm home." She said, rather lamely.

But she wasn't. Not for a while. Maybe not ever again.

* * *

Just beyond castle Shirasagi was a lake, so clear it was like crystal. Corrin had never been there before, but the location had been branded into her mind. It wasn't a large lake, but a dock still stretched out over the still waters. Day was slowly turning to evening, and it was then that Corrin snuck out to the lake, taking a moment to ready herself for her next encounter. It was a peaceful, lush place. Teeming with life all around. She was glad she forgot her shoes, for once: the earth beneath her was soft, almost spongy.

At the end of the dock was a young woman with flowing, light blue hair. Azura. In the breaths before she started to sing, the area around the lake went completely still. Birds hushed, bugs stilled. Complete quiet – enough to cause gooseflesh to ripple up and down Corrin's arms. Or maybe that was the magic in her song.

Azura started to sing, her voice sending out visible ripples over the water. " _You are the ocean's gray waves, destined to seek life beyond the shore, just out of reach…_ "

Corrin moved through the song's barrier, shuddering again as she felt the force of the song press against her on all sides, like the feelers of a great beast. " _Yet the waters ever change, flowing like time the path is yours to find…_ " Azura seemed to notice this as well, as the song suddenly faded away. She turned, and frowned, as if she was expecting someone else.

"You…" Azura's eyes clouded over, but only for a moment. She seemed to shake herself out of it. "You must be Princess Corrin."

"That's what everyone keeps calling me." Corrin moved to sit next to Azura on the dock, and dipped her toes into the water. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt your singing. You have quite a voice."

"It's quite all right. That song…I can't seem but to sing it whenever I'm alone." Azura moved to sit next to her on the dock. "I am Azura, ex-princess of Nohr. I imagine we must have much in common."

"Mikoto, er, mother, she's told me about you, but only some."

"Yes, I thought she would. Did she send you out here to look for me?"

"Um, not exactly. It's…a little complicated."

Azura nodded in understanding. "If I was suddenly returned to Nohr, I would probably feel the same as you."

"No, it's…not that, exactly." Corrin pulled in a breath, held it, and let it out slowly. She looked down, at her reflection in the water. Above it, her hair was silver, eyes red. Over the clear, crystal water, still effected by Azura's song was quite a different picture. Her hair was shorter, and a completely different color. Glasses covered vibrant green eyes. Corrin's face was a different shape. It was someone completely different.

Azura sucked in a breath, almost unable to believe her eyes. She looked back up at the silver haired Corrin, then down at the reflection, then back up again. Somehow, she didn't look at all angry or scared. "You…are not Corrin, are you?"

The silver-haired girl shook her head, feeling completely numb inside.

"Then…what happened to the real one?"

"She's dead."


End file.
